Kākā nest in holes in tree trunks which makes them vulnerable to predation from stoats and invasion from possums. Within Tāwharanui they are many of them flying over, they are heard well before they are seen due their loud squawking and whistling calls. They are also seen and heard in Read more…
The first release of Wētāpunga at Tāwharanui was in October 2022. Since then a few more releases have taken place reaching a total of 1450 at end of play on Sunday 17th March, after a Show and Tell event with Butterfly Creek in the Woolshed. The mature native bush that Read more…
The flightless takahē (South Island takahē; Porphyrio hochstetteri), is the world’s largest living rail. And now there is a double celebration for the takahē at Tāwharanui this summer. Firstly, we have a chick at the sanctuary that is doing very well and being cared for by very devoted parents. Secondly, the Read more…
TOSSI volunteers completed the four sessions of kiwi call counting for this year by the end of May 2023. The process is repeated at a large number of sites across Northland within the same period as part of a citizen science program run every year in May. The How – pairs Read more…
This year TOSSI celebrates 10 years of monitoring Pāteke at Tāwharanui – New Zealand’s rarest mainland waterfowl. A number of Pāteke were introduced between 2008 and 2010, and since then they have established on the park and spread out into Omaha and Christian Bay by 2014. So,10yrs ago in 2013, Read more…
It is hard to believe months have passed since parts of the country were subjected to mother nature’s recent storms. Tāwharanui did not escape the onslaught and suffered significant damage, but got off relatively lightly compared to other places in the region and the country. The torrential rains of Auckland Read more…
We have experienced a very wet spring so we have carried on infill planting into October, all over the park. We found a very wet spot in Workingman’s wetland to plant 50 kahikatea and over 600 wetland grasses- Cyperus and Carex. Muehlenbeckia was planted at Anchor bay, Coprosma repens at Read more…
On Friday 28th October 220 Wētāpunga (Deinacrida heteracanthawere) were released at Tawharanui. The project was a collaboration between Auckland Council, Ngāti Manuhiri settlement Trust, Butterfly Creek and TOSSI. They were taken to a secret location of mature bush and introduced to their new home. The bamboo homes act as temporary Read more…